Kent Hovind's April 2007 appeal denied
{{date|April 21, 2007}}

[[w:Kent Hovind|Kent Hovind]]'s motion for acquittal was denied on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. Hovind, a Pensacola [[w:Young Earth creationism|young Earth creationist]] and operator of Dinosaur Adventure Land, along with his wife, Jo Hovind, were found guilty in November 2006 on 58 federal counts of "willful failure" to payroll taxes, structuring bank withdrawals, and obstructing federal agents.

On January 19, 2007 Kent was sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay US$640,000 in owed funds to the [[w:Internal Revenue Service|Internal Revenue Service]], pay prosecution's court costs of $7,078, and serve three years parole once released.

In his motion, Hovind had contended that under the rule in a case called ''United States v. Davenport'' the crime is not the individual withdrawals, but is instead the total transaction, also known as the "unit of the crime." Thus, Hovind argued that in his case there was no "unit of the crime" "separate and distinct from the alleged act of withdrawing, and without such a separate amount to be structured [. . .] there could be no crime alleged, and no conviction on any charge in Counts 13 through 57." The trial court rejected Hovind's "unit of the crime" argument.

Had the judge ruled in Hovind's favor his sentence would have reduced Hovind's prison sentence from ten years to five years.

Jo Hovind sentencing was delayed pending the ruling on the motion. She will be sentenced soon though no date has been set.

== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title="Dr Dino" gets 10 years in prison after failure to pay taxes|date=January 19, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=Evangelist Hovind found guilty for tax fraud|date=November 4, 2006}}
*{{wikinews|title=Evangelist Kent Hovind's tax trial begins|date=October 21, 2006}}
*{{wikinews|title=Kent Hovind faces a 58-count federal indictment|date=July 21, 2006}}

==Sources==
*Motion [by defendant Jo D. Hovind] to Reconsider Order Denying Motion for Judgment of Acquittal, Jan. 26, 2007, docket entry 153, ''United States of America v. Kent E. Hovind'', case no. 3:06cr83-001/MCR, United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division.
*{{source|url=http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/NEWS01/703010325/1006 
|title=Attorneys for Hovinds seeks acquittal on bank structuring
|author=
|pub=Pensacola News Journal
|date=March 1, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=744
|title=Tax Protesters: Crackdown Hits Tax Protesters, Celebrities Included
|author=
|pub=Southern Poverty Law Center 
|date=April 26, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/NEWS01/704200332/1006/NEWS01 
|title=Judge denies appeal from Hovind, wife on tax charges
|author=
|pub=Pensacola News Journal
|date=April 20, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2007/FL/789_kent_hovind_sentenced_to_ten_y_1_24_2007.asp
|title=Kent Hovind sentenced to ten years
|author=
|pub=National Center for Science Education
|date=January 24, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/2005-03/hovind.html
|title=Follow-up 'Stupid Dino Tricks': A Reply to Hovind's Web Response 
|author=Greg Martinez 
|pub=Skeptical Inquirer  
|date=March 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-11/hovind.html 
|title=A Journey to Hovind's Dinosaur Adventure Land
|author=Greg Martinez
|pub=Skeptical Inquirer
|date=November 2004}}
*{{source|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2004/04/18/State/Biblical_theme_park_s.shtml
|title=Biblical theme park's finances investigated: Dr. Dino owes taxes dating back to 1997
|author=
|pub=St. Petersburg Times 
|date=April 18, 2004}}

== External links ==
*{{source|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/HovindIndictment.pdf
|title=United States of America v Kent Hovind and Jo Hovind
|author=
|pub=United States Government
|date=July 2006}}
{{wikisource|United States of America v Kent Hovind and Jo Hovind|United States of America v Kent Hovind and Jo Hovind}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}

[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Kent Hovind]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
Kent Hovind's motion for acquittal was denied on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. Hovind, a Pensacola young Earth creationist and operator of Dinosaur Adventure Land, along with his wife, Jo Hovind, were found guilty in November 2006 on 58 federal counts of "willful failure" to payroll taxes, structuring bank withdrawals, and obstructing federal agents.

On January 19, 2007 Kent was sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay US$640,000 in owed funds to the Internal Revenue Service, pay prosecution's court costs of $7,078, and serve three years parole once released.

In his motion, Hovind had contended that under the rule in a case called United States v. Davenport the crime is not the individual withdrawals, but is instead the total transaction, also known as the "unit of the crime." Thus, Hovind argued that in his case there was no "unit of the crime" "separate and distinct from the alleged act of withdrawing, and without such a separate amount to be structured . . . there could be no crime alleged, and no conviction on any charge in Counts 13 through 57." The trial court rejected Hovind's "unit of the crime" argument.

Had the judge ruled in Hovind's favor his sentence would have reduced Hovind's prison sentence from ten years to five years.

Jo Hovind sentencing was delayed pending the ruling on the motion. She will be sentenced soon though no date has been set.
United States North America Christianity Creationism Crime and law Kent Hovind Dinosaurs